The Price of Silver is the second book in Josie Jaffrey’s Solis Invicti paranormal romance series, set in a dystopian, post-apocalyptic London where a deadly infection threatens to wipe out humanity. The only people who can stem its advance are the Silver, a vampiric race who offer a simple exchange: protection in return for blood and subservience.

Emmy is fenced in by the city, the walls marking the edge of safety closing in around her and sealing her in with one vampire who loves her and another who wants her dead. As she struggles to keep herself and the people she cares about alive, her fellow humans chafe against their enforced submission, and it becomes clear that there are bigger schemes and greater deceptions in play than she had ever imagined.

All the while, the monsters wait outside the barricades for their moment. Of one thing she is certain: without the help of the Silver, the humans won’t be safe for long.

Let me start by saying that this is not a standalone novel. In order to have the slightest idea about what is going on with the storyline, you must have read A Bargainin Silver first.

So, now the public service announcement is out of the way, on with the review.

Is this the feared difficult and disappointing second book? No. I mean, it is the second book, but it is most definitely neither difficult nor disappointing. If anything, I would say that you can see that the author is growing in confidence by the strength of the narrative.

Once again, the reader is thrown straight into the action. And I think that there is a different feel to this story. A background note of threat and potential for betrayal which wasn’t present before. And this cleverly sets Emmy’s behaviour in stark contrast against the actions of the Silver. In fact, although still essentially likeable, Emmy is an incredibly frustrating character to read. So self absorbed, and with a breathtaking lack of self preservation that only when she faces the very real prospect of everything being taken away does she actually start listening.

Yet the fact that such a reaction is evoked from the reader, is a mark of the complexity of the characters which Ms Jaffrey has created. And who is to be believed? Who is to be trusted?

This is really a very strong sequel. I look forward to reading Book 3.

I have always written stories, but it wasn’t until I started the first book in the Solis Invicti series in 2014 that I really became obsessed with writing. I love to read, particularly where the escapism of the story is enhanced with an element of fantasy or science fiction. For me, writing is simply an extension of that journey, but I get to decide what happens next (though it’s amazing how often the characters seem to decide for themselves what I’m going to write!).

As a new author, I love to hear from readers with their comments and feedback on the books, so please do get in touch through my website or via Twitter.